Musculoskeletal disorders in men and women with heart transplantation. A cross- sectional study

Type of funding sources: None.

Scientific literature about musculoskeletal condition in heart transplantation patients is scarce, although musculoskeletal disorders seem to be common in more than a quarter of patients receiving cardiac rehabilitation. The aim of our study was to compare the musculoskeletal condition in men and women with heart transplantation.

Cross-sectional study. Sociodemographic data (age, sex, education and marital status) were collected. Musculoskeletal condition was assessed using two questionnaires: 1) the Musculoskeletal System Assessment Inventory (MSSAI) that evaluates 6-items related to musculoskeletal disorders rated in a yes/no variation scale, as well as the intensity and location of pain (from 1=mild pain to 5=unbearable pain); and 2) the Cornell Discomfort Questionnaire (CDQ), that evaluates the frequency of musculoskeletal pain in 5 different levels (from 0=never to 10 points=several times a day) for 20 different anatomic body regions.

The sample consisted of 109 participants with heart transplantation (54 women and 64 men, mean ages=53.33±12.60 vs. 58.35±12.81 years old, respectively). 40% women and 29.7% men were diagnosed with musculoskeletal disorders by the physician (p = 0.263). With respect to pain sensation, significant differences were observed, with women reporting higher values of musculoskeletal pain than men (p = 0.049) (64.4% vs. 43.5% respectively). Moreover, differences by sex were observed in terms of pain location (p = 0.047), with the knee being the joint most frequently referred to by men (15.6%) and lumbar joints by women (26.7%). 51% of women reported higher levels of musculoskeletal pain than men after performing physical exercise (p = 0.015).

According to our results, women with heart transplantation reported more musculoskeletal pain than men, more commonly located in lumbar joints. In addition, women reported higher levels of musculoskeletal pain after performing physical exercise than men with heart transplantation.